The challenge in family dining can be in finding a place in which all will be happy without having to take your meal out of a box or wrapper. You know, sometimes you want to go a bit upscale.

So on a recent Saturday evening, our family of four headed to Zin Bistro at 722 W. Lodi Ave., Lodi, just west of Hutchins Street.

It is a cozy venue, tucked in the location that formerly housed Andre's Cafe & Catering, and seats about 32 people, including four seats at the counter.

Zin Bistro has a nice urban feel, reminiscent of a place you would find in a much larger city. Cozy would not be an accurate way to describe it and funky as a description is now cliché. Warm, friendly and chic come to mind.

Perhaps that is because it is a family establishment. Owners and chefs are husband and wife, Walter and Melissa Ng. And one of the food servers is Melissa Ng's brother, Brien, also known as Spike.

Brien was not our primary server; it was Jeff, who typifies the friendly atmosphere of Zin Bistro. You may enter a stranger, but you will leave as a friend.

On this night we scanned the menu for something we all would enjoy.

We decided to start with an appetizer of Asparagus Tempura followed by entrees of Chicken Confit ($14), two Kobe Beef Burgers ($9.50 each) and Penne Pasta with chicken. For beverages, we opted for sodas ($1.50), a treat, for the young ones at the table, while the adults settled for water. Wines are also available.

Jeff was prompt and courteous. He provided a thorough explanation of the house specials and offered details on the various entrees.

The appetizer arrived within a few minutes of our order being placed. It was accompanied by a sauce and coleslaw, which presented an enjoyable balance of flavors.

The burgers, in short, were huge, although cooked a little rare for one diner who likes her beef cooked just short of the color onyx. However, the youngster at our table had no complaint. Her burger disappeared faster than you could say: "two allbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsona sesameseedbun."

The fries it came with were fried golden brown with a tender center. They were served hot and without any hint of greasiness.

The Chicken Confit was served on a bed of lentils and kale. The chicken's crispy outer layer was cooked to a pleasing crunchiness. However, the inner meat of the dish needed a bit more seasoning. Conversely, the lentils of the dish were a bit too salty.

The pasta with chicken was flavored just right. This was also a large portion.

We opted for dessert, although we missed it on the menu. A chocolate mousse ($3) and a lemon brulee ($3) also disappeared quickly from the table. For that matter, the youngsters did everything except lick the bowl of the lemon brulee.

As mentioned previously, the place has a friendly, urban vibe. Although, not our primary server, Brien offered many entertaining anecdotes.

The only downside of this dining experience would be a hint of cigarette smoke that wafted through the dining room about halfway through our meal. We suspect someone outside the rear of the building was catching a smoke break and that scent wended its way inside.

Our bill came to $84 including tip. But as a friendly upscale place for a family meal, we would highly recommend it.

Dining tip: If you do go, be sure to ask Brien about the restaurant's décor, particularly the "rivets" on the west wall.